President John Dramani Mahama has called for a more equitable global health system that strengthens vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa and other parts of the Global South.
Speaking at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, 2026, President Mahama said global health security required genuine international solidarity because infectious diseases do not respect national borders.
“Pathogens do not respect national borders, they just walk across without visas,” he told world leaders.
He said the international community must build an equitable global health architecture capable of responding effectively to future health emergencies.
Central to that architecture, he said, should be regional manufacturing of vaccines and therapeutics, stronger epidemic surveillance systems and investment in resilient public-health infrastructure across the Global South.
President Mahama linked the proposal to the demands of Ghana’s “Accra Reset”, which he has presented as part of a broader push for greater self-reliance and equity in global health.
He argued that countries in the Global South must have the capacity to produce essential medical commodities closer to where they are needed rather than remain excessively dependent on external supplies.
The President’s call formed part of his wider argument that global institutions must respond to the inequalities exposed by health emergencies.
He said true global health security would require cooperation that gives vulnerable countries greater capacity to prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks.
President Mahama also highlighted Ghana’s domestic healthcare initiatives, including the free primary healthcare programme and the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, popularly known as Mahama Cares.
He said such interventions demonstrate the importance of ensuring that healthcare systems deliver tangible benefits to citizens while countries work collectively to strengthen global health security.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭